Hardt of a High Elf
by EderNimrais
Summary: They say it takes a while for one to stop moaning the loss of one. However, one High Elf lady will do whatever it takes to bring back the man she feel in love with over one hundred years ago, even put into motion events that she unintentionally caused.
1. Prologue

The winter cold had hit the continent of Aegisthus softly this year, but the warmth from the sun has reduced the fields upon fields of snow to patches. Rex leaned out of his window at his newly bought home on the edge of the city to see children playing by gathering what little snow were nearby to build a snowman. He brushed his crimson hair with his right hand and smiled from what he saw. Everyone seemed to be lively, despite having to restart their lives due to him and his comrades' choice. Still, life goes on and Rex still felt his choice was the correct one.

He reached for his right jacket pocket to pull out a slip of paper with an unknown person. The adult turned it over to find nothing on the back. Rex flipped it back to the front side and began to read it, finding the first few words to be somewhat insulting in nature. He overlooked this and began his reading once more.

_Dear Stupid Rex_

_If you truly wish to ascend to the levels of greatness that your grandfather had once rose to, then you will do as I instruct and head to the ice cream show at one in the afternoon. Doing so will allow you to-_

Rex stopped reading the letter as it continued on about greatness of becoming a true man and some reference of a caliber of manhood he had no interest in. Rex muttered to himself that he worried about the health of a certain man he knew and walked towards his closet. He opened the oak cabinet to reveal a metal scythe with a simple design to it but not in lethality. Rex chuckled to himself, remembering the first time that he held the metallic scythe that belonged to his mother who instructed either Zerva or Dyshana to have her son use in the event he became a scythe wielder.

Quickly returning back from memory lane, he grabbed the deadly tool and held it with his right hand before disappearing in a glow of light. He formed his now empty hand into a fist and lowered it back to his side as he exited the house any adventurous man would, the window. Thankfully for Rex's health, he was on the ground floor which meant he did not fall straight into the dirt and break something. He moved over to the sidewalk and proceeded towards the destination with thirty minutes to spend.

Fifteen minutes into his walk, he had diverted five times, four of which were to help multiple children in need, ranging from being stuck up a tree to building a snowman. The last was to help an elderly woman walk across a busy street and towards her home. Upon these small gestures of assistance, Rex had only continued in increasing his fame which is a matter he does not try and let get to his head. After another bit of time passing, Rex arrived at his destination to find a lot of red and pink all over the location.

The hero of Aegisthus entered the ice cream store and found one of the most interesting things about the walls being it contained every single member of his past crew as chibis. He paused for a second when he found himself with blonde hair with a version of Ellis to his left and Dyshana to his right. Rex pulled a strand of his hair to confirm that his eyes have not been lying to him for almost two decades and indeed found it to be a variant of red. He looked at the image for a moment as a flashback hit him too quickly that he could not process the details.

However, the things he was able to make out were a white longcoat, blonde hair nearly identical to the one on the wall in color, his family pendant and the sword of his fathers. The back of the figure was to him that prevented him from identifying the person but Rex felt he should know who it is. His head began to hurt from the information in his head, so must so that it started hurting. He placed his right hand on the right side of his forehead as if to try and stop the effect but it did little.

"Rex."

Hearing his name ended the pain in his head as Rex turned to find arguably the only person who could completely understand him sitting in a booth, Dyshana. To Rex, this is the first time he had ever seen Dyshana not wear her revealing piece. She had a black coat that ran down to her knees. His took a second to think of why when he realized that the image of herself on the wall made her seem like a scandalous type. He looked and found a letter that struck a striking resemblance to his own.

"So, you are the other person the letter spoke off?" Rex asked, taking a seat across from Dyshana.

"I assume you are correct." She said and the two traded letters. The only thing they noticed was that their names were different and Thoma being either named as a grandfather or by his own name. "Someone wished for us to come here for a reason." Dyshana said in a monotone voice which did not surprise Rex.

"Indeed."

Rex replied as a waiter walked up to their booth. The man looked at the two for a moment and at the wall which told Rex and Dyshana that they were about to be asked if they are themselves. Indeed to their prediction, the waiter asked both if they were the heroes of the world, more so to Rex as the image's hair is different. Rex answered for both of them, saying they are only two of the souls who participated in the effort and that you are nothing special. Of course, whenever Rex tries to make himself seem like nothing more than a normal human, it never goes that way as it only adds on to his fame.

"I'm sorry to sound rude, but could we perhaps have out menus please?" Rex asked as the waiter realized that he was holding them up.

The man handed both a menu but asked them what flavor they want. Both attendants raised any eyebrow as the waiter explained that it is Valentine's Day. Still confused, the waiter said that it is a holiday where two lovers generally spend the day together and enjoy themselves. Rex finally understood what the man was saying and looked at Dyshana who also came to the same conclusion as him. They asked why he asked for a flavor, to which he said that a couple get a free milkshake. Rex tried to explain that this is a misunderstanding and mere coincidence but failed.

In the end, they ordered vanilla shake and nothing from the menu. The waiter took the menus back and said the order will take a few minutes. Rex and Dyshana entered awkward silence between them as they tried to think of what to talk about. It had been one mouth since the world fell apart on itself and neither had said a word to one another due to being distant. Now, they each had interesting stories of what had happened in that gap but no one was talking. Instead, they simply listened to the chatter of other people in the building which all seemed lovey dovey.

"Soooo… how have you been, Dyshana?" Rex asked, breaking the silence between them.

"Fine… yourself?" She replied, surprising Rex with her question of how he is.

"Oh, umm, I just bought a new house on the outskirts of town and just finished moving stuff in. I work as a weapon's trainer to all age groups and have quickly become renowned for my patience and skill. Although, I do not think it would be possible if I did not have everyone we knew train me."

"I see…"

"You know," He began, turning his head to the window where children were playing in the snow. "I have a lot to thank you for. Not just for causing the events that would result in me living, but to being there for me when I need it."

Rex said as he saw Dyshana's gaze also turn to the children and her eyes could not hide what she was thinking. He placed his right hand into his pocket and felt the corner of an object just to make sure it was there. She looked at him and slowly nodded, saying that it would help in the healing of everything she had done to him and his forefathers. She also added that it would be one step closer to being able to understand everything and everyone with her heart. Rex simply smiled at hearing Dyshana's words.

"You have always been someone special to me. Perhaps it is because we share a connect that no one else can match with me being a Spirit Vessel when you bestowed it to Leonhardt generations ago."

"Perhaps. Rex, what do you remember most about your childhood?"

Such a question threw Rex off but he did not show it and said "Well, you, really."

* * *

><p>"I don't care what you think! Rex is mine to take care of; I will not have Leo's last descendent become another Thoma! Do you hear me, Winfield!?"<p>

Ellis shouted at Winfield with her staff pointed at the never aging gunslinger. Winfield tried to calm the High Elf who had just entered mother mode with a nine-year old Rex sitting on a bed, watching the spectacle that is a pissed off Ellis. Rex and Winfield both saw a glimmer of light begin to form at the tip of Ellis' staff and they knew what was going to happen next. With the speed of a pervert being caught at a hot spring, Winfield dove through a closed window and into the open yard. Ellis ran to the broken window and shot a bolt of light at Winfield who gracefully dodged it.

This act infuriated the elf who jumped out of the window in a fit of rage to beat the ever-living soul out of Winfield who processed to run for his life. Rex slowly walked to the broken window to see Winfield ducking and weaving past magical spell after magical spell. Rex asked himself if his grandfather was really that bad of a person. He took a mental note to ask Alberti later today about what his grandfather was like.

Seeing that his guardian angel with a temper had left his room, Rex got down onto the floor and reached under his bed to find a wooden scythe. He pulled it out and smiled at the forbidden weapon in his hands. Due to Ellis wanting Rex to be purely a swordsman, she forbid him from using anything but a sword with the exception being magic that ties in with swordplay. If Rex was not scared of what might happen to him if he said no, he would have thrown his training sword away and picked up a scythe long ago.

Still, the boy loved Ellis for being the one person he could honestly call his mother, even if it is not by blood. However, he did fear her wrath which evened things out. Rex readjusted his grip on the wooden weapon and gave it a few swings. On the fifth swing, the weapon got stuck on something. He looked up and found Dyshana holding the tip of the scythe with her right hand. Sweat began to run down Rex's face as Dyshana knew exactly what he was thinking.

"Fear not, I shall not speak of this to Ellis." Rex looked at the woman before him with a puzzled look, confused at why she would say this to him. "She does not determine the weapon you will wield in the coming years, you do." Dyshana explained as the young Rex took a seat on the floor. "Furthermore, you would suffer from not being able to use whatever tool you are best suited with. You are destined to be the strongest Raglan to ever grace a weapon, thanks to Leonhardt."

"My Great-Great Grandfather?"

"Yes."

* * *

><p>"And from then on, thanks to you and Zerva, I have become one of the greatest scythe masters ever. At least, that is what everyone has told me."<p>

Rex finished his retelling, getting a nod from Dyshana who remembered that Rex always trained with Zerva from that day onward after Rex finished his sword training. Dyshana asked if her style of training was too hard for him, remembering that the boy sometimes could not get out of bed from when she was done with him after the first day. However, Rex only said that he was glad for such training as it made him realize his limits and how to break them.

"Here you two are, and here are the straws." The waiter placed down a large glass with a vanilla milkshake in it and took out two straws to place them inside the food. Rex and Dyshana looked at it for a moment, trying to figure out why there were two straws. "Ahh, you do not understand why I did that, correct?" He asked as both customers shook their heads together. "You see, since it is such a lovely holiday, the chef ordered that all desserts have it so that the couple can share it."

"But we-"

"Enjoy, our saviors."

And with it, the waiter left to serve the others in the room. With the comment, nearly everyone in the room turned towards the sound of the voice to see Rex and Dyshana sitting in the same booth. Rex gave an awkward smile and waved at everyone while Dyshana simply sat there without any emotion in her face. Seeing that they are now being seen as a couple by the other consumers of the building, Rex decided that he needed to play the part and got out from his seat and moved next to Dyshana.

He expected her to say something but nothing happened. Rex glanced over at her and found a very slight blush on her face but so small he almost missed it. "So, what have you been doing this past while?" He asked and moved the food towards Dyshana.

"Searching." She said and moved the shake back towards Rex.

"For what?" Rex asked while moving the shake back towards her and holding the drink in place.

"A purpose."

Dyshana answer and placed her hand on the opposite side of the drink. The two sat there, trying to tell the other to have it. In the end, they gave up and took a straw on their side and placed it on their lips. Rex began to suck in the icy vanilla treat when noticed that seemingly froze in place from it reaching her mouth. He raised an eyebrow, asking if she liked the taste of the food. Dyshana nodded, commenting on how the vanilla flavor was so strong in the shake. Rex smiled at her mixed expression of surprise and delight.

Rex gulped his saliva and began thinking about what to do next. _"Rex, it's now or never. Do it." _He thought as he took his lips from the straw and asked. "Dyshana, what is the one thing you do not wish to happen to you?"

Dyshana took one last sip form her treat and answered his question. "To be alone, like Chaos. I don't want to become like him, grieving of the lost opportunity of Varna." Dyshana said, unintentionally reminding Rex that she is, in many ways, a goddess in both power and origin.

"I see…"

Rex told and rose up from his seat next to Dyshana. He took two steps away from the table they sat in and reached for his right pocket to grab an object. Rex got a hold of it and pulled it out to hold it close to his chest. Everyone in the building stopped what they were doing to see what the hero was doing. Dyshana looked at Rex's back, pondering on what the man was doing. She saw him tilt his head downward to look at whatever was in his hand follow by his arm tensing. A few ladies in the building began to look in awe at him which caused an unknown feeling to Dyshana to emerge.

Rex turned slowly to face Dyshana to show a small amethyst box in his hand. "Dyshana, you said that you fear being alone in life. We have a special connection that no one else in the world can share with me being a Spirit Vessel; we can read each other's minds if we so desired along with knowing the location of the other." Rex told Dyshana who quietly nodded, verifying his statement. "Out of every woman I know, there is only one who I truly could say I love." Rex said on got down to his left knee, gaining the attention of everyone in the room. "Dyshana, will you marry me?"

Every soul in the room looked at the cyan-haired woman who looked at him with a mixed expression. "I know nothing about marriage and life in one."

The eyes of the public then returned back to Rex who smiled. "Do not worry, I don't either. But, I am sure we will make it work, so long as we are together."

"Then… I accept."


	2. A Trip Down Memory Lane

Sunday is often considered the most holy day to certain people in the world. While the details of who believe in that do not matter, what does is that a special event was taking place in the largest church in Aegisthus. To top off the occasion, Rex has chosen the one person that the senior members of the group believed would be with him for the rest of his life. Zerva sat next to a crying Winfield on the edge of the bench to make sure he does not ruin this moment. The groom himself looked like he was about to faint from the pressure on him but the redhead stood strong at the altar.

The large doors to the church slowly opened to find a single soul standing on the outside. She slowly stepped forward into the church light to reveal the dress that was being used for the once-in-a-lifetime event. Music began to play as the doors to the church the wedding was being held began to open. All heads turned to the door and a light shined behind the bride who showed she had a feminist side in her after all. The wedding dress Dyshana wore had a violet dress that had a divide at her breast line which wrapped around her neck. On her waist sat a sash, as black as night that came around her frame and the edge of it hanged on the front. Her back was bare of clothing as were her elbows. The one key thing everyone noticed is that indeed she had a veil one, and a rather long with to her back.

Vira-Lorr felt a magical presence next to raise. She looked to her right and found Ellis trying her best to keep herself in check. As Dyshana reached the alter, the two felt the world slow down as neither had any idea how to act in such a situation. As the pastor opened the book, the past repeated itself and a tile from the ceiling came crashing down onto the man's head, knocking him out. Rex and Dyshana stepped behind the later to see that he was out cold. Zerva facepalmed himself, realizing the same scenario was happening back when his sister got married to Leonhardt.

"I'll do it!" Winfield exclaimed, his tears running down like a waterfall.

It took all of Zerva's strength to hold the man back. He knocked the human gunslinger in the head to also knock him out cold which felt odd considering the location they were at. With a sign, the uncle to Rex rose up from his seat and walked over to the back altar to pick up a pair of reading glasses.

"Forgive me you two if this is not traditional but I will do my best at remembering what must happen. Actually, let's just get his over with." Zerva said and opened up to the book to trying an find a section where he could recite. Finding nothing, he closed the book and removed his glasses and said "Rex, my nephew, do you take Dyshana to be your loving wife?"

"I do."

"And Dyshana." Zerva said as she looked at him with a mix of a blank face and excitement, which only she could pull off. "Do you take Rex to be your loving husband?"

"Yes."

"Then you are now husband and wife, you may kiss."

Upon hearing the Syrium's words, both Rex and Dyshana looked at each other and realized that this just happened. They walked next to each other and moved in for the seal of their marriage. The building erupted into cheers as many of the party began to clap. Alberti nudged Beatrice, stating that this type of unorthodox wedding his how his went since Thoma was the emergency priest. The two shared a quick laugh and watch the two walk down the alley.

* * *

><p>"Why her…"<p>

In a newly bought house outside of the city laid a crying High Elf in bed. Those two words were the only ones to come out of her lips for the past three days. The village where she lived before meeting everyone had been deserted due to unknown reasons; and with it, her family. With the end of everything, Ellis knew that loneliness would be a great problem but her pride would not even allow her to think of the possibility that Rex would not choose her. The sword of the two men she loved laid next to her, as if it brought her some form of comfort.

"If only I was not a child, then… then…"

* * *

><p>Leonhardt sat alone in a field of grass, overlooking a lake that ran to the horizon itself. He had the sword of his family in his waist as he looked out to nature's beauty. The man had done it all, defeated the dark knight that had plagued him since his treason, stopped the Gridamas army from taking over the Frontier and was able to keep the nation together from breaking into anarchy. Now, the only thing left was for him to bring a new life into the world to continue the work he cannot.<p>

He already knew who the woman he loved would be, and most likely, she also knew. The only thing on his mind was a little girl who was arguably the reason behind all this. Leonhardt saw Ellis like a little daughter he never had or will have. He loved her as a close friend and would die for her like any other, but a special place was in his heart for her since she was what gave him the people to protect those he cared for, even if it came from Dyshana.

"Ellis… I know that you deserve better than this war, everyone does. I'm sorry that I will have to leave my unfinished work in your hands along with my descendants. I could ask anyone else to do it, but a part of me only can trust you with this task; even if you are just a child right now. Soon, you will grow up into a woman of unrivaled beauty and lovingness. This, I can be sure of, even if the world around you comes crashing down." Leonhardt closed his eyes and chuckled at himself. He reopened his eyes and said "I only wish I could see you grow up, but I do not have that luxury. I only hope Ladius does not cause you trouble in the years ahead."

Leonhardt said to himself as he heard a twig snap behind him. He quickly swung around, his hand gripped on the weapon when he saw a patch of pink in the background. "Ellis, is that you?" He asked, hearing more twigs snap as the sound continued to get louder. "Come on out, I'm not mad at you."

He took his hand off the grip of the sword and let his right arm hang there as the little girl he had come to know these past months appeared from the trees. Leo asked why she is not at camp right now. Ellis told him that she was worried about him since he did not return for hours. Hearing that Ellis was worried for his safety only made him more satisfied upon who will look after his child.

"Leo, were you saying something out a moment ago? I heard a voice but I did not know it was you."

"Sorry, Ellis, maybe when you are older, I can tell you."

* * *

><p>Over eighty years later and she never heard back from him. Although he did ask Zerva to tell Ellis when the time was right after his passing, the response was… mixed. Ellis could not believe what she heard that Leo had to make a choice that very well could make him miserable. As the generations moved on and son after son was forced into this situation, each with a very different outcome, it all ended the same way.<p>

And then came the day Dyshana told the truth about why everyone was to be sealed away, Ellis was the one to break out in sheer anger first. Little did she know that anger would transform into joy as the return of sixteen of their companions, more importantly him.

As overjoyed as she was, When it came time for the reunited crew to choose who would do fight which God, It was Ladius who suggested that whoever was a part of which generation and continent be in the strike force to deal with that specific God. Thoma, Duran and Rex all agreed on this as Ellis's wish of being with Leonhardt was coming true, until Leo said the Ellis should be with Rex since he believes that he will need it more and that having Ellis on Rex's team would make it more lethal which included Borgnine in the process.

"I know you just wanted to protect me, Leo, but I would rather have died by your side than have to be separated once more." Ellis said to herself as she continued through the memory.

The overall outcome of the fights depended on which generation you ask. Ladius, Duran and Rex's fights went smoothly without any serious trouble. Thoma said that his fight against Deeth was tricky but was able to pull it off with the price of a bit of his hair being cut off by Lavinia's blade. And then there was Leonhardt's party against Mercury.

Although everyone made it out alive, Leonhardt took the worse beating since he was most likely the only person up front if Elaine was to be knocked out. His clothes were so torn apart that it revealed his entire top body to his stomach and when Ellis saw it, she almost had a nosebleed from how built he was.

The battle against Chaos, however, was a different story all together…

* * *

><p>"If this wasn't such a fight to the death, I would have nominated we bravely run away by now."<p>

Thoma said as he flew backwards until he rolled back up to his feet. A bit of his own blood come from his lips as his son helped him to his feet. Thoma brushed his horribly cut black hair, no thanks to his wife, from his face and tried to assess the situation. Seeing his father come flying towards them, only to be stopped by Duran's magical prowess, show them that this was going nowhere. Leonhardt and Rex regrouped with the three relatives and tried to come up with a battle plan. With everyone else either out cold or cut off from them by a magical barrier, the five Spirit Vessels had to rely on themselves.

"I have a plan." Rex said, getting the attention of his father and grand fathers. "Thoma, dad, see what you can about holding back Chaos' deadly magical attacks with your own. Leonhardt, Ladius, we need to try and force him off balance if we have a chance."

Ladius looked at his Great Grandson and commented "Such a frontal assault will only get us killed, we need to force him to attack our terms."

"But he can attack us from a range where only I, dad and Thoma can retaliate. This is the only chance we have."

Rex explained as Leonhardt nodded. "He's right, it is either all or nothing for us."

Meanwhile, on the outside, everyone else was walking in disbelief as they were force to watch as the men had to fight the strongest evil God alone. The mothers of their sons watched in horror as each and every one was getting thrown around like a rag doll with only Rex and Duran being the two not bloodied yet. Thoma had blood coming from his lips, Ladius from a gash on his check which he barely was able to avoid, and Leonhardt who had blood running from his forehead. To everyone outside, the Raglan family was a bloody mess.

They saw Rex swing his personal sword to the right as he shouted "Let's finish this!"

At his declaration, he, Ladius and Leonhardt ran forward towards the God as if it was going out of style. Fyuria slapped her hand on her face, believing that Leo and her son have finally lost their mind. Chaos looked at the action with question as he cut through the air around him to unleash a dark wave of energy. The three warriors continued running towards that attack as two beams of light passed Rex who was in the center of the three. The light attack came into contact and only won the struggle because light based attacks defeat dark based.

Chaos did not seem fazed by the attack as he snapped his figures and out from the ground came three gurg-like figures. Rex ran faster and went in for the first swing which hit the crimson sword. A powerful shockwave exploded from his attack which caused Duran and Thoma to cover themselves from the pressure. The shadow figure pushed Rex back with such power that he began to fall backwards. Rex looked to his left to see Leonhardt slash through the monster with the golden sword while Ladius came crashing down with his greatsword.

He refused to fall behind his great fathers of old as he lost his grip on the sword, tumbling towards the crew. Rex slammed his left hand on the ground to keep himself from hitting the floor and did a leg sweep to knock the knight off his feet. The redhead turned his hand for he could turn in a one-eighty rotation and brought up his right hand violently while a source of light began to emanate from it until it appeared as a metallic scythe. Duran and Ryuryu both watched as her scythe appear in their son's hand as he slashed the gurg into two pieces.

"I hate using swords." Rex said and blitzed forward. Duran smiled next to his father and turned to see his wife give a nod at him.

Rex saw that Ladius and Leonhardt were blown away by an insanely powerful gust of dark wind. As the two men sailed past the scythe wielder who looked behind him while running, he saw Ladius call out his father's name and grab his hand. Leonhardt shook his head and Ladius spun around in mid-flight to sail Leonhardt so fast that he appeared as a being of light to everyone. Ladius slammed hard against the barrier, follow by a defining crack. Thoma called out to his father but Duran told him to focus on the objective and not let his last gasp go for nothing.

As Rex approached the lord of darkness, he saw what appeared to be a golden Leo zip right past him and hit Chaos hard enough to have him take a step back from the joint effort of Leonhardt and Ladius. Rex shouted at Thoma and Duran who already knew what he was thinking. Both mages casted an earth spell along with Rex which launched the man up into the air where he dematerialized the scythe. On the ground, Leonhardt returned to his normal state while his blade extended.

"Shining Blaze!" Leonhardt shouted and swung the golden blade upward to send the god flying high into the air. "Rex, now!"

As Leonhardt shouted the boy's name, everyone looked up at a purple hue gathering in a single location. They quickly identified the person at the center of the source of power to be Rex who did not appear to be in good health. Rex coughed out a small amount of blood from his mouth which Ellis saw with horror that the man was bleeding eternally. Forcing through the pain, Rex opened his eyes and appeared with an orb of light and darkness in each hand. He slammed the two opposites together and formed a blue divine blade

"Final-" Rex could not finish as the blood blocked his voice. The power in his hands began to slowly disappear and the blade started to vanish. Gravity took over once more and went downward from the sky above as he realized that only he could stop Chaos at this point. He saw the expression of concern on his mother and father's faces which gave him a second wind. Refusing to give into temptation, Rex willed himself back, the blue sword radiating with power once more as he swung it. "Break!" He shouted with a mixture of blood and air in his mouth.

The attack hit Chaos in the stomach, sending him to the ground, followed by a high magnitude quake. Everyone covered themselves from any debris that may fall from the sky. Ellis noticed that Rex was slowly descending from the sky downward. He appeared to be between consciousness and unconsciousness. As Rex neared the ground, his body stopped in place. The crew watched as the barrier holding them back was slowly disappeared when they saw his father holding a staff at Rex.

"That will do, Rex, that will do." Duran softly spoke and walked over to his son's side to give him medical attention.

Rex laid on the ground, the blood in his mouth beginning to lessen until fresh air began to enter his lungs. He commented, saying that he never would have imagined that he would spend the first real moment alone with his father like this. Duran smiled and shook his head, saying that the Raglan family has a tendency of getting them beaten up, only for a healer to come in, fix up the wounds, and dive back into the fray. Both men looked at Leonhardt who simply shrugged at the statement with a smile on his lips.

Rex raised his hand to touch the hair that he partially inherited from his father, but also his mother. However, this was short lived as the the family members who were brought back to life began to slowly fade from existence as their bodies were losing touch. Ellis ran up to Leo and dove into his fading body only to fall his onto the floor and see him disappear. Sadness filled the mind of the woman as Dyshana explained to everyone that it was only a temporary thing and that it she needed the help of the forbidden tomes too-

* * *

><p>"The forbidden tomes…"<p>

Ellis snapped from her rewind of the past as the gears began to turn in her head. If Dyshana was able to use the tomes to temporarily bring back everyone who had passed, then why couldn't she; after all she had the ability to bring a lesser god to Agarest as a child, so why not the deceased as an adult? Ellis glanced over to the stacks of books the group had collected, ranging from techniques for performing special arts to smithing books.

The high elf got to her feet and skimmed through the sides of each book to find the specific copy she needed. She found one copy of it but it was the fourth version of it and not the very first. Once more, she skimmed the selection of books but could not find it so she went on to the next bookshelf and sure enough it was the first book in the shelf.

Ellis yanked the book from the shelf and opened it to read the first page. Inside warned the reader that whoever read the book without the assistance of an alchemist would be cursed with unimaginable pain for all eternity. Then the idea hit her as Ellis rose to her feet and looked at a town map and saw that there indeed was an alchemist guild in the area. She grabbed a coat to cover and protect her body from the harsh cold of winter, the treasured family sword and made her way out of her house to seek the aid of one such alchemist.


	3. Resurrection of a Legend

Ellis stood before what appeared to be the best way of saying humanity can be evil at times. The Alchemist Guild as black, and that was it, nothing but a jet black was the color she saw on the outside of this huge building. Intimidation began to run through her body but the elf walked up to the door and knocked. Second thoughts started going in her mind but the door opened in front of her before she could think. She found the door stop only a bit inside, giving Ellis a puzzled look.

"Hello? Is anyone there?"

She asked but found no response on the inside. Ellis pushed the door open and found complete darkness inside except for a single light coming from a candle on a desk. The mage snapped her fingers and an orb of light hovered over her head to give her some visibility. The room she entered was like a hallway leading to the candle with purple rug from the door to the desk.

Steeling herself, Ellis walked the path presented to her and found an eerie silence that made the lady nervous. The wall was shrouded in complete darkness that Ellis could not see through. When Ellis neared the table, a figure walked out from the left of the desk and sat down in a seat behind it. His eyes were bandaged which prevented Ellis seeing any light reflection.

"Leave, Child of Lenion. You are not welcomed." The man said with a deep tone that sent chills down Ellis' spine.

"I-I will not, I need your-"

"We are not assisting you in resurrecting one of the four souls that saved this world."

"But, how did you-"

"-know?" He finished, saying what Ellis was about to speak out. "Once you enter this building, we are able to see into your very soul. You wish to bring back the Hero of Lucrellia because you did not get chosen by the Hero of Aegisthus. And do not deny this, I know this be true. Tampering with the dead is a trait we here in the Alchemist Guild do, yes, but in your case, it-"

"I don't care about the details!" Ellis shouted, causing the man to raise an eyebrow at her rudeness. "Either help me or I will find others to help me bring Leo back."

The necro-alchemist stood there, almost like a statue of flesh and clothing. Ellis nearly turned around and walked out when that man said "Very well." He said and clapped his hands together and the room transformed into a laboratory. "If you truly wish to bring him back, then I shall do my job. Give me the book." The mage ordered for the book as Ellis tossed it to him who caught it with one hand and opened its contents. "Volume one book; that will require a class L body."

He shut the book close and placed it on what was once a desk and is now a stone table, large enough from a body to lie down on. Ellis watched as a dark void appeared at the center of the table as it vanished, leaving a pure white body with no visible way of identifying the previous host. A part of the High Elf's mind was telling her to leave but her body would not listen to reason. The book she gave the alchemist began to levitate from the ground it was placed on as the man turned to face her.

"You do not wish to have an emotionless doll, but instead, the complete person, correct?"

"Yes."

"Then, give me your hand. You are the last component to make it him breathe life." The man said as he pulled a knife from a toolbox nearby and placed it in his left hand. "I need but a single drop of your elvish blood to have him become what you wish to have." He told the lady who held out her right hand and the human grabbed it and pulled her to the table, hovering the hand of the body. He took the knife and quickly straightened the index finger and cut the tip. A yelp escaped Ellis' lips as a drop hit the body. "Now, for the last bit."

Ellis pulled her hand back an applied a spell to stop the bleed coming from the exposed wound. "And what is that?"

"That depends on you. The resurrected hero will first ponder where he is located at, then, ask where his wife is. You know the disgraced noble would never break his vow to his wife as so for you to bring him back to have as a husband would prove futile. He would simply say that he is still faithful and you will find yourself back where you began, alone and sad."

"Then why are you-" Ellis began to shout but the alchemist opened his mouth to speak.

"-helping me?" The man finished her sentence once more, much to her annoyance. "Because, your blood is an exception to the operations we perform. With it, I am able to grab hold of the soul itself and modify it to whatever I wish. Its body, its memory, anything can be changed with the blood of a High Elf. Why do you think Summerill so hysterically wanted your blood for the bracelet? It can be used for an infinite number of ways; alchemy is no exception."

"Then… I can have him forget things as well?"

"Yes, anything you can think of. With the information I have of you and him now, I have a suggestion to make that you may find tempting." He said, getting Ellis to have him spill the info. "Have him replace the image of you as a child when you first met, and instead, as the adult you are now. Having the first meeting you met upon be of you as an adult would remove the view of you as a child, but instead, of a beautiful woman he saved and died protecting. When you two met not too long ago, have it so that he wanted you to bring him back to this world."

Ellis began wondering on the idea she was presented. Everything she heard from his lips sounded too good to be true. "You can do all of that?"

"In a matter of seconds, I can strip the real memories and replace them with false ones. In other words, yes. One more thing you may wish to know. With your blood, he will be evenly human and elven. Meaning, he will be half human and half High Elf, giving him various traits that both races have. The one you may want to know is longevity; he will not die of old age like the other races of Agarest."

If Ellis' mind was doubt this being a good idea, her hearing that Leo's physical being would be like her was all the motivation she needed to have her say the magic words. "Do it."

"Very well, close your eyes." The man said and turned his attention to the table where the body was located. The floating book moved in front of the man who placed his right hand over the opened book. "You whom rest with the spirits of old, I command thou to return back to the plane of mortal!" As his thunderous voice called out to whomever, a light beamed down from the ceiling, hitting the body in a brilliant white which Ellis was glad she took the mage's advice.

She found the light beginning to dissipate as she opened her eyes to see the body before her to be nothing but a being of light itself. The once unidentifiable body only now had the outside of one with the luminous force being too much for the eyes to take in and identify. After thirty seconds of nothing but constant glowing from the body, the light began to dim from the bottom up which let Ellis start to make out an image.

The female elf saw a pair of grey boots with a golden-like steel toe front with black sides. The pants and shirt were black as white longcoat covered most of the body from the light covered top to the revealed bottom. A pair of fingerless, black gloves resting in the palm while the light continued to show the two attendants the results. The face appeared at last with the eyes closed, a pale white skin tone, light brown and somewhat spiky hair were the last parts of the body to loss the blinding light. Ellis' heart skipped a beat when she saw one of his amber eyes open

"…What? Where… am I...?" A dry voice asked, barely able to speak.

"Leo…"

Leonhardt heard the weak sounding but strong-willed voice call him name which made his tilt his laying head to the right to find two people stand before him. A man whose were covered completely had a book floating before him fall into his hands. Behind him, holding his family sword, was a nearly shaking High Elf he instantly recognized. His voice was coming back to him but with a dry throat, he could not say anything. Leo found a glass of water conveniently next to him. He forced himself up from the stone table he was laying on and chugged down the water next to him, his eyes closed.

"Ahhh, much better, I can speak properly without hindrance." Leonhardt said and gently placed the glass down where he found it. He opened his eyes to see the first elven girl he ever met. "Ellis… is that really you? You have not changed since we last met." His kind comment caused Ellis to begin crying tears of joy, followed by her tackling him with a hug, nearly causing her to drop the sword in the progress.

"Leo, it's really you!"

Ellis exclaimed in her excitement. Leo was barely able to keep himself vertical from the tackle he got from his friend. As Ellis was embracing him as tightly as he arms could, the alchemist told them to take the scene outside as he did not want it in his building. When Ellis heard this, an idea popped into her pretty head. She grabbed Leonhardt's right hand and pulled him off the table, nearly causing the newly reborn human elf hybrid to fall flat on his face. Ellis continued to drag Leonhardt with him which caused her to only pull harder. Leo was barely able to get the family sword strapped onto his wait during all the commotion.

However, the alchemist gave a sigh and said in a tone that only he could hear "Despite your good intention, no matter how little they may be, you, Child of Lenion, have set into motions events that will surpass that of which Summerill could only dream of committing. However, it is not my place to prevent such things to happen."

To those who were outside of the Alchemist Guild, they would not have known such an important thing has transpired in the building. The doors the black as night building opened to find an overly cheerful High Elf pulling a pale human who appeared to be on the verge of falling over on his face. Leonhardt finally gained his footing after what appeared to be a combination of proper running and irregular staggering. He looked up and found himself and Ellis standing in front of an ice cream shop. Overly eager, Ellis continued her pulling of Leonhardt who simply smiled with his face giving an uncertain smile to it as they enter the establishment and took a seat in a booth.

Ellis had both her hand on her lower chin, seemingly in a day dream of how this was actually happening. With Leonhardt able to get his body and brain working properly without the unnecessary tugging of a girl, he pieced together that this was not some type of limbo that the spires projected him and his friends, but instead, the real world he once walked on before his great, great nephew changed it for good. He found Ellis' stare at him somewhat unsettling, but, at the same time, warming in a way.

"Ellis, you have been acting different from how you once were… how long has it been since I last saw you and the rest of our friends?"

"A few months. Don't worry about them or anyone else. Just focus on me and me alone, Leo dear."

Ellis comment once again would seem odd coming from her perfect lips but Leonhardt once more found them warming for some reason. In his mind, a very small section of his brain was telling him that something was wrong but everything else was directing him just to spend time with Ellis and no one else in this world. The presence in his brain slowly drifted away until it no longer had any hold in him.

* * *

><p>Rex was in laying in a meadow of grass on the outskirts of the city. Each blade of grass felt like a feather to him and the smell of nature that he was not accustomed to in his days of war was a fresh experience. After the marriage ceremony and all the antics afterwards, Rex went to Halulu Atea in Enhambre where he visited the empty graves of his parents. There, he was told by the new elf hierophant of the land who knew who he was that he resembled his parents greatly and that they would be proud of what he did. Hearing such words helped him in his adjustment to civil life.<p>

Now, with him taking the reborn nature of Aegisthus, Rex let his body relax as he watched the clouds drift along the sky. He felt true calm as he felt a familiar presence behind him. Rex looked above him and found Dyshana looking down on him while he rested in the grass. One of the first things that Rex nailed into Dyshana's head was that she needed a new set of clothes if they were going to be together. While she did in fact get a new pair of clothes, it only made the situation far worse as it revealed more skin than before. In the end, he gave in and let her wear whatever she desired.

"Hello, Rex."

"Hey, Dyshana. Want to lay here with me?"

"I think I shall." Dyshana said, accepting his offer and slowly laid on the green flooring below her. The two looked at the white vapors in the sky above them as a thought lingered in Dyshana's head. Before she could say anything, she saw that Rex's left hand was placed on his head as if it was hurting. "Is something the matter, Rex?"

Rex rose up from his position and laid up, his hand not leaving his head. "I… I don't know. Something just hurt me as if with a hammer. What's more confusing is that I keep hearing this voice telling me to find Ellis and stop something that has been put in motion. I think I have been working too hard."

"I think not." Dyshana said, making Rex turn to see and find her expression not what it just was. "I feel a presence that I have not felt since I brought back your past fathers."

"What? Dyshana, I think-" Rex's head began to pound like a war drum upon him trying to tell his wife that she may be over thinking this. "Okay, this cannot be a coincidence that we are both feeling this. That, and my head feels like it is going to pop any minute now."

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Notes - <strong>While the chapter is much shorter than I would like for it to be, this ends the part of the story that prevented me from really adding onto it this story since Valentine's Day.** (That, and I am cursed with Ellis and Leo stories. It's true.)** In other words, quality of the chapter sucks but this is where we are finally going to get a good story in both plot, writing and word count... I hope. The idea is good in my head.


	4. Wisdom From the Past

Rex sat alone on one of the many rooftops in the city and he could not believe what his eyes were showing him. The legend was watching Ellis dine with none other than his great-great grandfather who seemed perfectly alive for a supposed dead man. He sat two houses away from the restaurant they had chosen but his instincts were telling him something much complicated is in the works. Ever since his earth pounding headache yesterday, he had be tracing the source that Dyshana described to him and found it in the form of Ellis' date.

"This.. has just gotten both complicated and confusing at the same time." Rex said as the pain in his head began to subside until it completely disappeared. "First Leo comes back from the dead and now my headache miraculously goes away. I know that medicine isn't the reason."

Rex looked into the window with greater detail and found that Leonhardt carried the sword that he supposedly had in his time along with his white longcoat. However, Rex's eyes traced to Ellis who was dressed as if this was the fanciest restaurant in the region. Pink and more pink was all he saw which did not surprise him. What did, however was that the two then leaned forward and kissed one another like lovers before returning back to their chatting.

The red-haired scythe master's eye shot open at seeing the signs of two lovers being done by the two most unlike people. Rex waved his right hand to the left which summoned five different portraits, each with at least a man and a woman in it. The first on the right was his father and mother, Duran and Ryuryu, the former appearing to be somewhat agonized by the latter.

The second held Thoma with Lavinia who was chasing the man with her sword in her right hand, and her left hand holding a bath towel in place while Thoma running with a smile and sweat running down his face. In the background should Rex's grandaunt, Faina, who appeared to be laughing at the act before her by her sister and caring friend. Rex smiled at the picture and wondered if this was a common practice of his.

The third held Ladius with a sleepy Yayoi on his back whom he was carrying. Rex quickly moved onto the last and most important picture which contained Leonhardt and his wife, Fyuria who was yelling at him with her right index finger pointed at his head. Leo's face was one of embarrassment from what Zerva told him was that Leonhardt tried to help with the laundry and accidentally found Fyuria's clothing.

Rex grabbed the picture holding his great-great grandfather and mother. "Rex, if there is one thing that Leo is, he is loyal. The man would never betray her. If what Uncle Zerva says is true, then why is he with Ellis who was a child when he first found her?" He asked himself, completely stuck on how Leonhardt is not only living and breathing, but also with Ellis; it made absolutely no sense what so ever to Rex. "I think it is best if I just keep observing them for now and make my decision later with Dyshana. Man, when she finds out that he is back..."

For the next hour, Rex saw the two share a wonderful dinner together and exit the establishment towards the direction of the city park. With each rooftop, Rex neared closer to his targets but he had to force himself not to step in and say anything to Ellis. Rex used his magic to jump into the air without making a noise and landed on top of the tallest tree in the area. Like a hawk watching its prey, Rex seemingly stared at the walking couple who were talking about the future and how to spend it. In his head, a voice that Rex found somewhat familiar told him to stop them which did not help since he wanted to do the same.

"_It is not my place to stop them… but... what about Fyuria, Leo?" _Rex asked himself, not believing that Leonhardt would go from the stories he was told to be next to a cheater. _"Wait… he still has his wedding ring on! What the heck is going on!?" _

His mind shouted, unable to understand and process how this is happening. He saw Ellis tell Leonhardt to close his eyes and to hold up his left hand; the same which held the wedding ring. Leonhardt did as he was instructed, moving his left hand up to Ellis with his eyes shut. If Rex had any thoughts about Ellis coming to her senses, it vanished when he saw her take the ring off his fingers and turn to a fountain.

Ellis moved her hand backwards and threw the ring towards the fountain in the center of the park. Before reaching the water inside, Ellis saw a figure moving so quickly that her elven eyes could not pick it up. She heard something touch down onto the ground where she turned to find the boy who she treated like a son crouching down and rise up to his feet. Leonhardt opened his eyes to find a very infuriated great-great grandson standing a few feet away from them, a ring in his right hand.

"Ellis… how could you go so far as to throw away the wedding ring that Fyuria bestowed to Leo over eighty years ago…?" Rex said, barely able to say such words to his mother figure.

"Fyuria… why does that name sound so familiar." Leonhardt said, causing Rex to raise an eyebrow. He quickly saw Ellis' expression change as if she got caught taking a cookie from a jar.

"How can you not remember your-"

"That is enough, Rex! Why don't you just leave us alone?"

Ellis said to Rex who had never heard her say such words to him in a harsh and vile manner. The crimson haired man looked at the wedding ring that was nearly discarded by the High Elf. Rage began to run through Rex's body as he remembered that Leonhardt did not remember the name of his wife. This missing piece in Leonhardt's logic made Rex realize that Ellis must have done something with him, just what exactly is beyond him. Rex looked at Leonhardt's skin and found it was much paler than last time, almost to the same extent as-

"Oh my gosh…" Rex muttered, figuring out the reason of the missing piece. "You tampered with his memory!" He exclaimed just before Ellis could tell him to be quiet. "The skin tone, the magical presence I am feeling from Leonhardt that can only come from a High Elf, and him not knowing who he married, Ellis, you brought him back to life and altered him like some puppet that you can pull the strings on!" Rex shouted the last part, knowing he was right with how Ellis backed up from hearing her crimes.

Leonhardt placed his right hand on his forehead as he muttered on how the name Fyuria sounded so familiar to him. Ellis pulled him closer, telling him it was nothing but Rex's aura began to become visible to everyone in the park. Onlookers turned to see the angered hero standing near a couple whom one of which appeared to be hurting. Again and again, Leonhardt muttered Fyuria's name, unable to understand the meaning of why if felt so important to him.

Rex saw Ellis grab a hold of Leonhardt and tell Rex that she will not be alone again. She pulled her man in the opposite direction to find Rex also standing there, his mother's scythe in hand. "Ellis, I don't want to hurt one of my closest friends. Please, just return him back into the arms of his true family."

"Never!"

Ellis shouted and casted a teleportation spell on the two, followed by a portal appearing under their feet. Rex did not move, knowing that Ellis was beyond the skill level needed to make it so only they could get through but not him. He dematerialized the scythe and sighed, saying that she has just made this into something that is end terribly. Rex looked at the ring in his hand and saw a raindrop touch on it from a leaf on a tree. He looked up and saw a bird looking down at him before flying off into the distance.

* * *

><p>Rex sat only in his home, trying to put in the final pieces of what exactly happened to Leonhardt. He already concluded that Leo is now part High Elf, he is a resurrected clone of the real person, and that his memories are fighting to regain traction in his head. Rex sighed, not able to come up with any other ideas. The man said to himself that this exercise would be easier if he had a second opinion but Dyshana was currently out which left him alone.<p>

"Wait, the power of the Spirit Vessel is in each person in my father's side of the family. Which then means we share a connection by that line? Could that mean…" Rex asked himself and closed his eyes. "The power rests deeply within the soul, if I just pull on it…"

He said and felt a part himself come out of his body. Rex opened his eyes to find a ghostly image of his father sitting across from him. "Yes, we are all connected with you by the power bestowed to leo, my son. I had but a taste of this power but I could not converse with my past fathers." Duran said to his son who paused when he raised his hand. "Rex, I understand why you are feeling conflicted about this issue. If I was in your shoes, I would not know what to do myself."

"Dad, what should I do? I don't want to cause Ellis to fall into a deep depression because of my action?"

"Rex, if you are to understand what must be done, then you must understand each Raglan of that specific generation and how they ultimately influenced Ellis to want Leo that badly."

"Then… what is your story, dad?" Rex asked, seeing Duran close his eyes and take a deep sigh.

"When I was young, I was always told that my destiny was to sacrifice myself to Emhambre in order to save the world. I was reluctant to do this, often running away from the problem instead of tackling it like my father and forefathers. It was my failure to act which caused Ellis to get captured by Vashtor. If I had only been more active and willing to participate, then maybe you would not have had to suffer some much of the work that I could have dealt with."

"Dad, I cannot blame you for causing me a little trouble."

"Still, it is the duty of a father to help guide his son. Rex, you must understand the viewpoint of Ellis if you are to understand what must be done. I can't tell you it, but perhaps another can."

Duran said as his spiritual body began to fade away before Rex. The last image he saw was Duran smiling to him and saying he cannot be more proud of his son. Rex sat there, pondering the meaning of Duran's story and how his past lives could give him the answers he is seeking. He took a deep breath and delved back into his spirit, this time looking deeper to find his grandfather's presence. After a minute, he got a strong hold of him and plucked it from himself, forcing it to become a spirit. Now, Thoma sat before him with a weary look on his face.

"These must be trying times for you, Rex." Thoma said to his grandson, able to see it in his face.

"They are. I don't know how to look at Ellis right now. Please, help me, Thoma."

"If Ellis were to hear you say that out loud, she would have a heart attack. However, she is not how she once was back when I lived and breathed. I was the opposite of my son, carefree and flirtatious to every woman I saw; mainly because I was brought under by Winfield. But this is not the true me. At twenty-nine, I was the oldest of us five which meant I have had a lot of time to think about things. The one that always came to mind was losing one that I loved or dragging them with me with my destiny. Ellis has always wanted one of Leonhardt's children to be just like him. None of them did up until you which is why she so fiercely raised you in such a way that resembles her image of him."

"So, Ellis' way of grieving was to have another Leo which in turn was me?"

"Somewhat. You are definitely not like him, but you are the first image of Leonhardt in over eighty years for Ellis. When you see someone you love for the first time in such a long time, you tend to let your emotions overcome your senses. To her, you were the perfect man, and her man, but that all changed when you did not choose her but Dyshana. May I add, you picked a nice woman, grandson." He said, giving a thumbs up and a wide grin.

"Thanks… Thoma, I heard that the reason why I and father look the way we do is because of your wife, Lavinia. Could you explain a bit about her?"

"Ah, Lavinia. Where do I start with that lovely lady…?"

"Make it quick, I have to talk with Ladius still."

"Ouch, fine. In truth, it is from both her and your parents that give you the appearance you have now. Lavinia was a hurt soul among those I met. Whereas Faina had the appearance of a High Elf and Noah look beautiful for a human, Lavinia was often hurt verbally for looking like a Dark Elf. There were a couple times where I had to step in, pull out the big boy pants and pulling out the you are wrong speech and this is why, normally ending with me saying that she is a gorgeous woman. It was up until she came up to me one night before the big battle and asked me honestly whether there is someone I love and who where I said it was her."

"How touching."

"Rex, the heart is the most fragile piece of the human body. At the same time, it can be the most powerful with the correct mindset. Ellis right now is in a position where mind and heart are dead set on making sure that she is with what is now Leo. If you are to make it through this without harm for everyone, you must find a way for Ellis to walk out of this the way she was before your wedding. This, is my wisdom to you."

Thoma said to his grandson who nodded slowly to his senior. The soul of his grandfather began to drift away like the wind into it was gone and not visible to Rex. As he sat there alone, the man realized that indeed the stories that he was told about Thoma were indeed true and not made up. Rex commented on his past two lives, saying that one was so anti-social at one point while the other was completely social with woman and could be considered by some to be a womanizer.

"Ladius, I need your final piece advice."

Rex called out to his inner being, waiting for a response. After three seconds, the final reachable spirit in his line came out in a lotus position. "Hello, Rex."

"Ladius, you know what is going on with me and Ellis right now along with how your father is involved in this. Please, since you were the first to be raised by Ellis, tell me what I must do to make it sure she does not fall into an internal depression if I kill Leonhardt."

"Rex, while I am not like the past two you have spoken with, I can tell you one thing. father's death will do more than just hurt Ellis in every way possible. Any wisdom I can provide to you would not assist sole do to the fact that you have already heard it from Thoma and Duran. However, I can tell you a feel something different with father and not because he is not partially High Elf."

"Then what is it?"

"The one who knows it will come to you."

Ladius said and vanished before Rex's eyes. The man commented, saying that the conversation was not as he had though it would play out. Rex gave a deep sigh and began trying to figure out what Ladius meant. His only answer came in Dyshana but he concluded that she probably would not know herself. A grumble escaped Rex's lips, unable to understand and combine the wisdom of his three past lives. Despite the education he was given by everyone from childhood to now, Rex could not find the right answer.

"Wait… what is this feeling inside me? It feels so similar to Ladius and the rest."

Rex moved his right hand on his head, his fingers touching his red hair. He did not feel any pain come from his head but it felt like something was trying to come out of him like the last three family members. Steeling himself, he reached deep into the source of the energy that was coming from him and yanked it out. Rex lost his breath and began to breathe heavily with his head facing to the ground, surprised that doing such a simple task would tire him so gravely.

He finally looked up and found the last person he expected to be sitting across from him, his great-great grandfather.

"Leo…? How, what, you-"

"-are not the vessel in which you have seen today." The spectral image of Leonhardt said, confusing Rex. "The being that you saw with Ellis today is not me, but a fragmented image of what she sees is me. It may have some of my memories, but it is not me. And, before you ask, your headache you had yesterday and before visiting those two was actually me, trying to show you what is transpiring."

Suddenly, everything was going like clockwork for Rex. He looked at Leonhardt for a moment and pulled out his wedding ring. Rex looked at Leo's left ring finger and found it was missing a very important feature. The mixed fighter smiled flicked the ring to the man who started everything for him. Leonhardt held his left hand out for the ring to somehow fit onto his finger while losing its physical form.

"Thank you, Rex. You do not know how much this ring means to me and my wife."

"Believe me," Rex began, showing his own to the spirit. "I understand how much meaning a ring can give to a person. Leo, I think you are probably the most influential person at this point who can help me."

"Rex, you have no idea how true this is, but not for the reasons you may think?"

"What do you mean?"

Leonhardt paused for a moment to choose his words carefully. The brief moment of silence told Rex that what he was about to hear was extremely sensitive and that he must take this seriously. "The Leonhardt that is with Ellis right now, there is a danger that he could present which would ultimately rival that of the Gods we face long ago."

"Wait, possibly stronger than the Gods themselves? How is this possible and how do I prevent it?"

"The second question I am unsure of, for that you must uncover. However, the first I can tell you since I felt it in the afterlife. Ellis' method of resurrecting me was by the forbidden tomes. You may be familiar with them, the books that Dyshana used to bring back me and the rest of your family during the battles we had together. However, there is a dangerous and deadly side effect to it that she unknowingly caused."

"What is that?"

"The implementation of her High Elf blood into the ritual. The ritual to give life to someone from the dead will eventually become too much for the vessel in which it was used to withstand, ending with it dying. With her magical blood, it not only stopped this from happening, it reversed it."

"Reversed it? You mean like it going from slowly dying to growing stronger over time?" Rex asked, getting a slight nod from Leonhardt.

"Almost. There is still a side effect to it that lingers in the body; two, to be precise. The first is that the original memories are trying to come back, and with each instant of truth that it hears, the pressure that comes from the brain only increases until it finally remembers. But, the second and more deadly of the two is that the soul was mine, a former Spirit Vessel."

"Something tells me that is a bad thing."

"It is. If you combine the dark force necessary to resurrect someone by alchemy means with the seemingly God-like powers that the spirit vessel line gives; mind you, I was the first in the line which does not help the case, then it causes a fluctuation of power. Both forces, one dark and the other the Spirit Vessel's power that was weakest in me out of the five. After enough time, they will join together and form a union. The end result is something that Summerill could only dream of having to fight you."

"So… if this fake is left unattended, it may very well become that to rival the Gods? AND, it is likely that I could not stop it if this were to happen?"

"Unfortunately, yes."

The two Raglan men, arguably the most influential of all time, sat in silence to one another. Rex was starting to realize that a power of that magnitude and possible danger could not be allowed to walk this world 'less he wants to see the world shrouded in darkness. He asked his senior if there was any way to stop it from happening while not upsetting Ellis in the process. To his dismay, Leonhardt said he could think of no other way then to kill the vessel holding Leonhardt's image and causing Ellis to delve into an unimaginable sadness without end.

"Leonhardt, you care for Ellis dearly, don't you?"

"Yes, I met her when she was little and saw her like a little elven daughter, maybe an intelligent baby sister who acted many times as my personal healer because I tend to get beat up a lot. However, I love only Fyuria and not Ellis, I cannot find myself to love someone when my image of her is of a child and not the adult she is now."

"I see. Leo, there must be a way to prevent a horrible ending."

"Rex-"

"There has to be a way, and I will find it, no matter how much I have to go through."

"I know you will."

Leonhardt said in a soft voice, truly believing that Rex could and would find the answer to make everyone walk out of this happy and their friendship intact. The spirit of a hero gradually disappeared in a way that looked like snow being blown against the wind. Rex sat by himself once more and rose to his feet, feeling them slightly numb. Walking it off, he moved to the closed window and opened it to get some fresh air in the house. Rex leaned out the window when realization hit him harder than a wooden stick to his head.

"Ya, how in the hell are you going to figure that out, Rex? I'm not a master mage like Dyshana. Then again, she could be classified as a Goddess so I suppose she the exception."

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><p>Deep in the land of dreams stood a beautiful High Elf woman who held mixed feelings about the events that transpired. On the one hand, she had the time of her life with the man she loved since childhood. However, on the other hand, Rex not only found out that she is on Aegisthus, resurrected Leonhardt, but also that she purposefully tried to erase his history for her own desires all on the same day. In the end, she did not know how to feel about the day.<p>

Ellis looked in the endless void when she felt a gentle, silky hand touch her right shoulder from behind. She turned her head to find what appeared to be another High Elf who seemed sad. Ellis turned the rest of her body to look at the lady before her and found they shared a great deal of similarity. Pink hair, pale skin, purple eyes and the fashion sense that said she knew what looked good on her. Still, a part of her felt familiar to Ellis but the lady could not place her finger on it.

"Hello, Ellis, my dear." The woman said, knowing her name which made Ellis begin to worry.

"Who are you, and why are you in my dreams?"

"My name… is Alice, and I am your aunt from long ago." She said, seeing that Ellis' face changed from weary to shock. "Yes, I am related to you, that is why we share similar qualities."

"My… aunt? But, how can that be?"

Alice motioned for Ellis to stop speak so that she may. "I do not have much time to speak with you, I can barely keep myself inside your dream world as it is. But, I am her to tell you something."

"What is it?"

"That you are not the only one who was not chosen by the man you loved. There was once a man who I raised just like you did with young Rex. He was strong, brave, courageous and a leader who was comparable to his mother and father. His name was Leonis and he was my baby, just as Rex was once your baby. We were in the middle of a war and we speak months fighting until we too vanquished Summerill, or rather, sealed him away. Afterwards, Leonis lived the rest of his life with a girl called Mimel who too gave Leonis' father the abilities of a Spirit Vessel."

"The two lived a happy life together, and died of a natural cause on the same day; both in each other's arms. I lived my life with a man who I never felt the same attraction as I did with Leonis or to a lesser extent his father, Sieghart. Ellis, I do not truly approve of your choice on making this man into something that can be relatable to a puppet." Alice said as she stopped Ellis from protesting her lecture. "But, I do not want my dear niece to suffer through the same things as I did. No matter what happens, even if the world is against you and everyone you once held dear betray you, be happy with this man, even if he is not the one you met at childhood."

"Alice…" Ellis began speechless that her believed to be aunt also suffered what she went through before bring back Leo and was telling her to not let anyone try and convince her to let him go. "Right, I promise that I will not let anyone come between our love, no matter the reason may be… thank you, Alice."

"No, thank you. You are living the life I wish I could, please continue to be happy with him." Alice told and kissed Ellis on the forehead. "Sleep well, my sweet niece." The older elf said in a motherly voice before disappearing back into the void of Ellis' dream.

Ellis woke up from everything that had just happened in her mind. The room was dark with the lights off which prevented Ellis from seeing clearly. However, she felt a pair of strong arms holding her frame. She looked and found herself hugged next to Leonhardt's shirtless chest, the former noble fast asleep with the look of a warrior all but gone. Ellis remembered the conversation and smiled while snuggling her pink hair head against Leo's chest before returning back to sleep with her mind and nerves at ease.


End file.
